1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to inflatable packaging and more specifically to an end user filled protective packaging with self-sealing air bubbles, which does not require complex machinery to fill the inflatable compartments.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art of inflatable packaging to fill multiple compartments with air and then seal the multiple compartments to retain the air therein. However, the inflatable packaging is typically complicated or the machinery used to produce the inflatable packaging with air is also complicated. A complicated inflatable packaging will require complicated machinery to fill thereof. A complicated inflatable packaging machine will not always produce a consistent product, due to the complexity of the machine and also variations in the sheet material used to produce the inflatable packaging.
Typically, a manufacturer of inflatable packaging provides a customer with inflatable packaging machines at no cost and sells the inflatable packaging to the customer. Any problems with the inflatable packaging machines is the manufacturer's responsibility and expense. It is to the manufacturer's advantage to have the simplest and most inexpensive inflatable packaging machines to produce the inflatable packaging. Having inexpensive inflatable packaging machinery makes it possible to sell the inflatable packaging to smaller companies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,183 to McGarth discloses an inflatable container with self-sealing valve. The McGarth patent discloses a one layer self-sealing, self-regulating, two-way flat valve for fluid containers, such as toy balloons and the like formed of two heat sealed film layers, is provided. U.S. Pat. No. 7,694,701 to Koyanagi discloses a structure or check valve for air-packing device. A check valve for an air-packing device comprises upper and lower check valve films that are placed between upper and lower packing films that form the air packing device contour. The check valve can be advantageously used for the air-packing device having a multiplicity of air containers.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for an end user filled protective packaging with self-sealing air bubbles, which provides a non-complex inflatable package that may be filled with an uncomplicated inflation apparatus instead of complicated machinery.